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September 8, 2016

SVSU earns top certification from Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency

Saginaw Valley State University recently earned certification as a Veteran-Friendly School from the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency.

The “gold”-level Veteran-Friendly School status demonstrates SVSU’s commitment to offer supportive services to those affiliated with the military, said Denise Berry, director of the university’s Military Student Affairs office.

“This is the top certification you can earn in the state,” said Berry, a retired U.S. Army officer. “This says that we’re obviously doing things right.”

SVSU received the same status last year, when the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency first offered certification to higher education institutions.

Berry said SVSU’s Military Student Affairs has grown since that initial certification. Much of that growth is physical. The office’s suite tripled in size, and the number of visits increased from 1,525 during the 2014-15 academic year to 2,640 in 2015-16.

“There’s just so much more space to meet and do group work,” she said. “This location truly achieves our goal of having a one-stop shop for veterans on campus.”

SVSU’s Military Student Affairs benefits military service members, veterans and the dependents of service members and veterans. The office offers space where military-affiliated students can go for admissions, advising and orientation, to name just a few of the services.

“We help with just about everything they need,” Berry said. “If my team can’t provide a solution, we find the person on campus that can.”

For more information about SVSU’s Military Student Affairs, visit www.svsu.edu/militarystudentaffairs/.